Cash-carrier



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. L. WALBRIDGE. CASH GARRIER.

No. 467,666. P tented Jan. 26, I892.

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CASH CARRIER.

Patented Jan. 26, 1892.

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(No Model.) 7 5 Sheets-Sheet 3. -H. L. WALBRIDGH. CASH CARRIER.

No. 467,666. Pat'ented'Jan. 26, 1862.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

H. L. WALBRIDGE.

CASH CARRIER.

No. 467,666. Patented Jan. 26, 1892.

(No Model.) 7 5 SheetsSheet 5. H. L. WALBRIDGE.

CASH CARRIER.

No. 467,666. Patented 13411.26, 1892.

2 VET/77265585. L

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY LI \VALBRlDGE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CASH-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,666, dated January 26, 1892. Application filed April 2, 1891I Serial No. 387,347. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. WALBRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of I-lampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cash-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of cash-carriers and tracks or ways therefor, the aim being to provide novel devices and appliances which are of simple and durable construction and correspondingly inexpensive and which are effective and practically automatic in action.

More particularly the invention relates to improvements in the trackways near the cashdesk, whereby the cash-car coming thereat may be automatically transferred from the track leading thereto onto the track for the returning of the car to the station whence it came; to improvements in automatic switches for guiding each particular car from the return-track onto the side track at the station for which such car is provided; to improvements in the apparatus at the station, notably the combination or arrangement of the car elevator with the side track, the construction of the car-elevator and its adaptability for corelation with the outward or transmission track; to improvements in portions of the system which have the capability of automatically conveying the car to a station on an upper floor, from which station a track runs to the desk or into the main-line track of the system; to improvements in the construction of the car whereby it may successfully run over the trackway and on certain occasions exert a co-operative action with relation thereto, and to improvements in the construction of the cash-box and its combination with the car and otherwise, all substantially as will hereinafter appear.

To the ends above set forth the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, all substantially as will hereinafter more fully appear, and be set forth in the claims.

In this specification, for the purposes of brevity and uniformity, the track or way which runs toward the desk and from the sending station will be termed the outward track, while the way for conveyingthe car toward the station will be termed the "returntrack.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the various features of improvement are illustrated.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation in illustration of portions of the outward and return trackways at the desk. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of portions of the outward and return main-line trackways, showing a sub or'side track for the station, the automatic switch ap plied between the same and the return-track, the elevator, and automatic devices for switching the car, under the proper conditions, from the elevator onto the outward track. Fig. is an under side plan view of portions of the switch between the return-track and the side or station track, to be hereinafter referred to. Fig. 4' is an elevation illustrative of the portion of the tracks at and leading to an upper floor or location. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the car and the cash-box, the connections between the latter and the car being shown as in their distended or unfolded relations and the box opened. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the same parts, the cash-box and the parts connecting same being shown in full lines as in their most compact relations; and Fig. 8 is anend View of the same.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the illustrations given the traekwaysare inclined for insuring the propulsion of the cars by gravity, and the invention has particular reference to a gravity apparatus, although, as will be apparent, certain features of the constructions are not limited to any particular means for insuring the propulsion of the car.

The apparatus comprises an outward trackway, which passes in proximity to and is common to various forwarding-stations, and also a corresponding return-track, and in the draw ings the outward track and also the return track are indicated, these terms being placed upon such portions of said respective trackways as are shown.

The letter a refers, generally, to the track, whether the outward or return, and the track- 2 eevgees ways and various appliances combined or connected therewith are to be supported in any suitable manner, the same often varying in different stores and under different circumstances and in any case involving merely the exercise of mechanical or engineering skill, and for the purposes of simplicity and clearness supporting structures for the trackway are not given prominence in the present illustrations.

Describing now the improvements in the trackways near the cash-desk, whereby the cash-car coming thereat will be automatically transferred from the outward track onto a portion or extension of the return-track, A indicates the position of the cash-desk, and 1) represents a section-of the return-track adjacent the desk, which, however, is level, or in any event is not inclined, as is the said return-track throughout the major part of its course. The outward track terminates, as at 10, at a suitable distance from the terminal section b of the return-track, and 12 represents a, switch-section, which by its one end is pivoted, as at 13, on a suitable fixture or support next to the end 0f the outward track, the said switch-section being normally sustained by a spring 14in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, so that the free end of the said switch-section l2 willbe held away fromproximity to the track-section b, the said switch-section being in line with and forming, as it were, a continuation of the said terminal: portion of the outward track. The car B, l1owever,.comin g to the desk, will, on reaching the switch-section 12, by its weight cause the depression of said section, as indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, uniting the outward track with the horizontal track-section tinue along such latter portion of the track and to the stop or abutment 15. The cashier on desiring to return the car pushes same along the horizontal section b in a direction away from said abutment l5 and onto the inclined portion of the return-track, when of course the necessary force for the propulsion of the car is developed, it of course being understood that immediately thecar has run off from the switch-section 12 in coming to the desk said section rises under the reaction of its retracting-spring and forms no impediment to the departure of the car from the desk.

The car B, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, consists of the pair of widely-flanged wheels 2222, having at one side suitably-extended axles 23 23, united by the longitudinal bar 24 at one side of said wheels, and hangers 25 25 extend downwardly at the same side below the-rims of the wheels, having secured thereto the horizontal support 26 for the cash-box, the construction of which will be hereinafter more fully described, as will also be the con- 6 5 nection of the cash-box with said supporting part of the carriage.

e represents an abutment member supb, when the car under its impetus will conported on the car so as to be in a plane near the track, and, as shown in the drawings, is in the form of a hook, the relation of the same being indicated in Fig. 2 as to its capability for bearing with relation to an operating part of the switch and other parts of the apparatus, as will hereinafter appear. v

The outward track of the cash-carrier system is ranged higher than the return-track, and at each senders station .there is a side track D, as indicated in Fig. 2, and a switch section E, which normally lies as acontinuation of the main returntrack, but which on the proper occasion is adapted to be automatircally shifted to switch the returning car from the main return-trackway onto said side track D. The switch-section E is in substance pivoted at its rear end, as at 30, on a suitable supporting part 32, so that the section E may swing into the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the said section E is trussed or otherwise suitably formed on its under side, as at 33, and is provided with the downwardly-extended stud 34:, which passes through the slottedextremity 35 of the lever 36, which is pivoted at 37 on the horizontal fixed frame or support 38. Said lever 36 isprovided with the angularlyextended and cam-formed arm 39, which is extended between two lugs 40 and 42, that are formed as downward projections from the collar or yoke 44, which embraces and is adapted to slide in adirection parallel with. the course of the track on the said supporting-frame 38-. These parts last described are most particularly illustrated in the under side plan view, Fig. 3. Thesaid yoke or collar ll is normally held in a rearward position by the spring 45, and the said collar has thereon a stud 46, which is in the line of movement of the abutment-hook c on the car. As the car returning toward the station reaches the switch-section E the hook e forces the yoke 44: forwardly, swinging the lever 36, so that through its connection with the switch-section E the latter will be shifted to side-track the carat its station, and the car being given, as it diverges from the common return-track, a lateral movement relative to the position of the stud 46 the abutment-hook e is permitted suitably, after the switching has been effected, to pass out of engagement with stud 46 and to proceed in its forward course.

it represents a stop for limiting the travel of'the car in its return run in case the elevator F has not been restored to its normal position, as indicated at the lower left-hand part of Fig. 2. The said stop consists of a U-shaped device, one leg member of which is guided to play vertically with relation to the extremity of the side track D, and by the spring 50 to be sustained' in the elevated position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2,so as to form an abutment against the running of the car off the side track when the stopis in its upper position.

' The elevator F embodies a suitable frame ICC 53, movable and vertically guided on the rods or ways 54 and adapted to be raised by the cord 55 and pulley 56 into the position indicated by the dotted lines F, Fig. 2.

t' represents a short section of track on the elevator-frame, the same extending beyond the ends of saihframe and adapted, when the elevator is in its normal or usual and lowermost position, to be in line with and form a continuation of the station side track D and to bear downwardly upon one legof the U- shaped stop device it, depressing the same against its spring, so that the car coming onto the side track when these conditions are es tablished will run upon the track-section tof the elevator.

j represents a buffer movablein a line parallel with the direction of the track-section i, the same being supported and sliding on the horizontal rod 57 against the spring 58, which normally sustains the buffer j well rearwardl y or toward the side track D, and 59 represents a hook-lever suitably supported and pivotally mounted upon the elevator F, the same having an arm 60 at its end, which is the other side of the pivot from the hook end of said lever. Now the car running onto the side track and tracksectiontwould be brought by its hook-abutment e to contact with the said buffer j, and then by further forcing the car bodily byhand,- the buffer receding against the compression of its spring, the hook-lever will engage the said abutment-hook of the car, confining the car upon the elevator, which latter may then be lifted to convey the car to be switched upon the outward track.

G .represents the switch-section, which is supported and suitably movable above and in relation to the outward track, substantially as indicated in Fig. 2. As shown, two supports are provided for the switch G, one 62, which is' in the form of a bracket-arm, confined on the vertical supporting-rod 63 and to which the switch-section is pivoted, as at 64, and the other support is also in the form of a bracket-arm 65,.having a hub, which encircles the vertical supporting-rod 66, being held supported by the spring 67. The weight of the car being brought upon the switch-section G forward of the rear portion thereof, which is pivoted, as at 64, will cause the tilting down of said switch, as indicated by the dotted lines G, Fig. 2, so that the car will then run forward upon the outward track. It will be noted that the rearend of the switchsection G remains normally horizontally and in the line and as a continuation of the track-section t' on the elevator when the latter is raised, and also that there is a pin 69 horizontally projecting from one of the guiderods 54, against which the arm 60 of the carengaging hook-lever 59 on the elevator may come in contact as the elevator isbrought to the proper height, so that the car will be auto matically released from its confinement, the spring-pressed buffer at this time also being freed to impart a forward movement to the car, sending it out on the switch G, when the weight of the car will insure the downward swinging or depression of the switch, as already mentioned.

The improvements in the apparatus which relate to the mechanism for automatically conveying the car to a station upon an upper floor or place, and from which station atrack runs downwardly in the opposite direction, will be now described.

7 0 represents a portion of a track in Fig. 4, which may be understood as a continuation of the common return-track shown in Fig. 2, the same having a bend comprising a quarter of a circle, as at 72, thence extending Vertically, as at 73, to lead to the proper height, and then having another are bend 74, thence continuing in the more or less nearly horizontal though preferably slightly downwardly inclined section 75.

76 represents a pulley mounted concentrically with relation to the bend 74 on the trackway, and 77 represents a pulley which is mounted concentrically with relation to the bend 72 in the trackway, althougheach of said pulleys is, as indicated in Fig. 5, in an offset plane from that comprising saidpulleys 76 and 77. An endless drive-belt 78 passes around the pulley 77, around and with a bearing upon a portion of the periphery of the pulley 76, and over and around supporting and idler sheaves 79 and 80, and said drive-belt has at suitable intervals along its outer face lugs or projections 82, substantially as shown. 7

83 represents a stationary run ner-rail havingabearing-edge84,whichistowardthetrackway and at all portions thereof at a distance therefrom corresponding to the dimension of the car-wheels at their most contracted diameterthat is, between the opposite peripheral portions thereof at the bottom of their flanges. One of the pulleyssay the one 77--is continuously rotated in any suitable manner and imparts to the drive-belt a progressive movement in a direction corresponding to that indicated by the arrows 85 in Fig. 4; and so a car cominginto the portion of the returntrack adjacent the bend will have its abutment-hook e contacted upon by one of the lugs 82, movable on and with the drive-belt, when of course the car will be bodily lifted, sliding up the vertical track-section 73 and carried round the bend 74, and, being disengaged by the drive'beltlug, which then has a divergent course, the car runs onto the portion of the track and is restrained by the vertically-movable and spring-sustained stop 88. A terminal portion of the outward track is under and in proximity with the portion 75 of the return-track, and J represents a switch-section which is normally adapted to form an inclined continuation of the tracksection75, the same being sustained in its upwardly-swung position on its pivotal support 89 by the spring 90.

On desiring to transmit the car from .111

IIO

. aperture 95 in the side of the box for swinging thecatch, so that it may be disengaged from the catch part 96 of the cover,.a spring being interposed between the box and its cover, so as to swing the one away from the other to open the. box when the catch is dis engaged. The cover is pivotally connected on a bar 97, which in turn isv pivotally connected or linked to another bar 98 at its outer end, the inner end of said bar 98 being pivoted to the supporting part 26 of the car. The bar 97 is of stepform or formed with the-offsetirnember 100 and 101, as indicated in Fig. 6, while the bar 98 is intermediately stepped or provided with the middle offset portion 102, which is disposed reversely to the. offset part 101 of the bar 97, and all so that when the cash-box is closed and the linkbars folded or disposed in their most compact relations the box may be located within the opening formed by the opposing offsetbar portions 101 102. The normal position of the bar 98 is as indicated in the full. lines in Fig. 7, a retaining device being provided therefor, and thesaid retaining device is here shown as consistingin the spring. 104, which is. coiled around the stud 105,that is provided on thesupporting part 26 of the car, one end of the spring being secured to the stud and theother to the bar 98. A similar provision is made at the pivotal connection between thesaid bar 98 and the one 97, whereby normally the latter bar will be heldalongside of the one98 for insuring the most compact dis position of all the laterally-described parts relative to the car. The car ever remaining on some portion ofthe trackway, the cashbox, nevertheless, at the proper times-is easily accessible, for on reaching and drawing-down the same, as may readily be done on the unfolding of said linked carrying-bars against their springs, the box may be brought to the most convenient position and opened. On closing the box and releasing it it is immediately drawn up to occupy its position-with? in thelink-bars closely under the car.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a cash-carrier railway, the combina tion, with a terminal portion of one track downwardly and forwardly inclined and the terminal portion of another track inclined downwardly and rearwardly relative to said first track and located thereunder and having a section, as 1), extending beyond theend of the upper track, of a switch-section hinged at and provided as a continuation of the upper track-terminal and adaptedto swing to iconnect same with; said extended section of the lower track, and a spring for norm-ally maintaining said switch-section in its upwardly-swung disposition, substantially as described.

2. Ina cash-carrier apparatus, in combination, a common or main trackway and a side or station trackway, a switch-section in the main. trackway adapted to swing to connect theside with the main trackwa-y, alever pivoted adjacent the main trackway and engaging by its arm a partof the said switch-sec- 'tion,-and a slide member movable longitudinally with relation to the main trackway and adapted to be forwardly forced by the traveling car and provided with an abutment for acting on said switch-operating lever to shift the switch, substantially as described.

' 3.. In a cash-carrier apparatus, in combination, a common or main trackw-ay and aside or station trackway, a switch-section in the said main trackway adapted toswing to connect the side with the main track, a lever'pivoted' adjacent the said trackway and engaging by its arm a part of the said switch-section and having t he cam-formed arm 39, the slide, member 44, provided with the lugs 40 and 4:2, and the spring 15, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

1. In acash-carrier apparatus, in combination, a common or main trackway and the side or station trackway, a switchssection E, having provided therefor the stud 34, the intermediately-pivoted lever 36, having in its one arm the slotted extremity, with which said stud 34 engages,and having its other arm of cam form, the bar 38, on which said lever is supported, the slide member 44,.movable thereon and provided with the lugs 40 and- 42 and the stud 4'6, and the retractingspring4t5, all as described and-shown, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a cash-carrier apparatus, in combina tion, the station trackway D and the elevator IIO having the track-section 2', adapted to align with the said track D, the stop it, of U shape, one vertical member of which is guided to play across the end portion of the track D and the other to stand beyond the end of saidtrack, and the spring 50, all as shown.

6. In a cash-carrier apparatus,the combina tion, with the elevator provided with the spindle or rod 57 and the buder-slide j, movable along the same, and the spring 58, en circling said spindle and having its reaction against the butter-slide, and the catclhlever to engage the car,.of the guiding and elevating devices for the elevator and an abutmentpiece 69 to swing the lever out of engagement with the car when the same has been: elevated to the proper height, substantially as described.

7. The. combination, with the upper track, of the supports 63 and 66and the brackets 62 and 65 thereon, the latter Vertically movable-and spring-supported, and the switch G,

pivoted near its end on the bracket 62 and supported on the bracket 65, the elevator having the traclcsupport i to be aligned with the said switch, substantially as described and shown.

8. In a cash-carrier apparatus, the combination, with a trackway having a turn upwardly, as at 72, and another turn, as at 74, of the runner-guide 83, the pulleys 76 and 77, the drive-belt 78, having the lugs 82, and further belt-supports, as the sheaves 79 and 80, sub"- stantially as described.

9. In a cash-carrier apparatus, the combination, with the track having the upward course and then turned more or less nearly horizontally and the devices for upwardly propelling the car, substantially as described, of the stop 88 in the track, the downwardly-inclined outward track, and the spring-supported switch J, all substantially as described and shown.

10. For a cash-carrier apparatus, the combination,with the ear, of the bar 98, pivotally supported thereon and having at its one end the bar 97, pivoted thereto, the said latter bar carrying the cash-box, which is pivoted thereto, and the said bars 98 and 97 being formed stepped or with the offset portions 102 101, whereby the cash-box may be disposed between them, and means for normally maintaining said cash-box-supportin g bars in their compact and folded relations under the car, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

- HENRY L. \VALBRIDGE. Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLoWs, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN. 

